The installation of the Xigmatek Aegir is not very hard, it is however complex and requires time. The motherboard has to be removed from the case even if the motherboard tray is cut open behind the CPU area. To start with, you need to secure the backplate at the rear of the motherboard. The backplate is universal for all sockets, you only have to place the screws and nuts in the correct holes for your motherboard’s socket and tighten them with your fingers.

After the backplate is secured, you need to install the correct retention brackets for your CPU. The manual displays which brackets need to be installed for each socket; this time however you cannot secure the nuts with your fingers and will have to use the little wrench Xigmatek supplied.

Finally, the cooler is placed on the CPU and the middle aluminum retention bar is secured on the brackets by using the same small wrench. Make sure you will not force the wrench too much; the small screws and nuts can handle only little torque before they are damaged.

The Aegir might not look massive while installed on the motherboard, it will however be very close to the RAM slots after the fan is installed. In most cases the 120mm fan will be right above the two RAM slots. Normal RAM modules will fit beneath the cooler but modules using tall heatsinks will interfere with the installation of this cooler.